The Impact of Nurse-Led Peer Support Interventions on Psychological Status and Quality of Life After Acute Myocardial Infarction Stent Implantation in China.
Xiaohong Yi, Qin Zhang, Hongmei Qi and 2 others
PMID 40834426WHAT IT FOUND
After stent implantation for heart attack, adults receiving 12 weeks of nurse-led peer support plus standard care had less anxiety, depression and stress than standard care alone, with better quality of life and medication adherence.
Key findings
01The primary psychological outcomes improved: anxiety fell from 8.7 to 5.3 versus 8.5 to 7.8, depression from 7.9 to 4.6 versus 7.7 to 6.9, and perceived stress from 22.3 to 15.8 versus 22.1 to 20.4.
02Quality of life improved across all SF-36 domains, with the largest between-group differences in role-emotional (10.2) and social functioning (9.8) on 0 to 100 scales, and high medication adherence increased from 45% to 72% versus 47% to 53%.
03No serious adverse events were reported, and temporary emotional distress during group sessions was reported by 5% of intervention participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done in one hospital in China, so results may not apply to other settings. Follow-up was only 12 weeks, so it does not show whether benefits lasted. Participants and nurses delivering the intervention knew group assignment; only outcome assessors and analysts were blinded. Outcomes were self-reported, which can be influenced by what participants wanted to show. Some participants had previous stents or cardiac rehabilitation, which may have made them more receptive to peer support. Seven intervention and nine control participants were lost to follow-up, although analyses used intention-to-treat and multiple imputation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the improvement as proof that peer support alone caused it. The intervention group received a 12-week nurse-led program with weekly 90-minute group sessions, 8 to 10 participants, 1 to 2 peer supporters, a standardized workbook with symptom and medication tracking sheets and stress management exercises, and a monitored phone line, in addition to standard care. Controls received routine cardiologist follow-up, discharge instructions and general education, and both groups received the same medical treatment and cardiac rehabilitation referrals.